Origin
Elmhurst, NY
Late night in Elmhurst on Sunday
Local time
5:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elmhurst, NY to Springfield Gardens, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
9.6 mi
15 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elmhurst, NY
Mel Audelo
Springfield Gardens, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Elmhurst, NY to Springfield Gardens, NY is 9.6 miles and takes about 17 minutes via Van Wyck Expressway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a mixed drive experience as you navigate the urban landscape. It's a straightforward trip, perfect for those needing to get from one point to another quickly without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Van Wyck Expressway | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Rockaway Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Long Island Expressway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Conduit Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Queens Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| 145th Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Guy R. Brewer Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Van Wyck Expressway
— 2.7 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmhurst, NY and Springfield Gardens, NY.
1
Start on Grand Avenue
42 ft
·
4 sec
·
Grand Avenue
2
Turn right onto Queens Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Queens Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
Toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 495
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Long Island Expressway
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 22A-E
Toward I 678: Grand Central Parkway, Van Wyck Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 22A
Toward Grand Central Parkway East
7
Merge onto GCP
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 13
Toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kennedy Airport
9
Merge onto I 678
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 2
Toward Rockaway Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway
191 ft
·
10 sec
·
Van Wyck Expressway
12
Turn left onto Rockaway Boulevard
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Rockaway Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn left onto NY 27
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Conduit Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Turn right onto Guy R. Brewer Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Guy R. Brewer Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn sharp left onto Farmers Boulevard
171 ft
·
4 sec
·
Farmers Boulevard
16
Turn right onto 145th Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
145th Drive
17
Arrive at destination
145th Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 9.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, East...
8
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 678: Grand Central Parkway, Van Wyck Expressway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 22A-E
Toward I 678: Grand Central Parkway, Van Wyck E...
6
3.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kennedy Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 13
Toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Kenned...
7
6.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward Rockaway Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 2
Toward Rockaway Boulevard
6
9.2 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Farmers Boulevard
Turn sharp left onto Farmers Boulevard
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.58 one way
$3.16 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $1.71 | $3.42 |
| premium | $4.92 | $1.86 | $3.72 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.12 | $4.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.84 | $0.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.34 | $0.61 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Springfield Gardens, NY
Late night in Springfield Gardens on Sunday
Local time
5:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
3 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
17m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a 50% highway experience, primarily utilizing the Van Wyck Expressway and Grand Central Parkway. You'll encounter a mix of faster-paced highway driving and potentially more local road conditions as you approach your destination. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 2.7 miles on the Van Wyck Expressway. The overall feel is that of a typical urban commute, with varying speeds and traffic patterns.
50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.7 mi on Van Wyck Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 9.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Elmhurst, NY and Springfield Gardens, NY, road signs point toward Eastern Long Island, Grand Central Parkway East and Kennedy Airport.
Eastern Long Island
0.5 mi in
|
~1m
Grand Central Parkway East
2 mi in
|
~4m
Kennedy Airport
3.6 mi in
|
~6m
About the Cities
Arriving in Springfield Gardens, NY
Full guide →City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 9.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.7 miles on Van Wyck Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Springfield Gardens, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Stonewall National Monument, African Burial Ground National Monument and Federal Hall National Memorial (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Springfield Gardens, NY before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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